A David and Goliath-esque showdown is officially upon us.
At 1:35 p.m. ET, Jaden Bradley’s top-seeded Arizona Wildcats are taking on Greg Gordon’s No. 16-seeded Long Island University Sharks in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.
This contest will be the second time the schools’ hoop squads have ever met; the last game was in 1951 (which the Wildcats narrowly won, 62-61).
Seventy-five years later, things are quite different. Arizona had a dominant 2025-26 season and went 32-2, capped by a 79-74 win over the Houston Cougars to secure a Big 12 Championship.
LIU, coached by 17-year NBA vet Rod Strickland, finished the year 24-10 to secure its first Big Dance berth since 2018. The rub is that the school is yet to win a game once it has advanced to the tourney.
Arizona vs. LIU: what to know
- When: March 20, 1:35 p.m. ET
- Where: Viejas Arena (San Diego, CA)
- Channel: TNT
- Streaming: Sling TV
The winner faces whoever wins between No. 8 Villanova and No. 9 Utah State in the West Region.
Arizona vs. LIU start time
Today’s (March 20) Arizona vs. LIU March Madness game is scheduled to tip off at 1:35 p.m. ET.
How to watch Arizona vs. LIU
You’ll need a live TV streaming service to stream the Arizona vs. LIU game for free if you don’t have cable.
If you aren’t ready to commit to a full-on subscription and just want to tune into today’s game, you can try a Sling TV Orange + Entertainment Extra 1-Day Pass. Priced at $5.99, you’ll get 24 hours of access to all Sling TV Orange has to offer, including truTV. Sling also offers 3-day and week-long passes for its Orange plan with the Entertainment Extra add-on.
You can also stream todays game with a DIRECTV free trial. The Choice plan, which has all of the March Madness channels you’ll need, is currently $35 off your first month.
NCAA Tournament 2026 key dates
- First Round: March 19-20
- Second Round: March 21-22
- Sweet 16: March 26-27
- Elite 8: March 28-29
- Final 4: April 4
- National Championship: April 6
This article was written by Matt Levy, New York Post live events reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the latest tour announcements from your favorite musical artists and comedians, as well as Broadway openings, sporting events and more live shows – and finds great ticket prices online. Since he started his tenure at the Post in 2022, Levy has reviewed a Bruce Springsteen concert and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to name a few. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
